Cell #22, Acrylic on Canvas, copyright Angela Canada Hopkins

“It’s actually a beautiful stain,” the pathologist quips. Stares of oddity and muffled chuckles fill the room. “Is something wrong? It is lovely,” I think. Turns out many healthcare professionals – and artists – think similarly.

Artist Angela Canada Hopkins definitely sees cancer differently, and as an oncology nurse, I love looking at her work. I hope to own one of her pieces one day, but for now the reverse of her business card – an image of Cell #22 – adds healthcare art to my office space.

Cancer is stunning in many ways. Hopkins’ work is a different kind of stunning and a reminder of the microscopic awe of the “Big C.”